*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 6459.doc* PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S. W. Washington, D. C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418- 0500 Fax- On- Demand 202 / 418- 2830 TTY 202 / 418- 2555 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov ftp. fcc. gov DA- 01- 234 January 31, 2001 TRANSITION PROCESS BEGINS FOR PART 68 CUSTOMER PREMISES EQUIPMENT CERTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL CRITERIA CC Docket No. 99- 216 The Report and Order in CC Docket 99- 216, In the Matter of 2000 Biennial Regulatory Review of Part 68 of the Commission’s Rules and Regulations, was published in the Federal Register on January 24, 2001, 66 Fed. Reg. 5759. This action begins the transition period for the new privatized and streamlined rules promulgated in that Order. As discussed in the Order, the transition schedule is as follows: x No later than 30 days after publication of the Order in the Federal Register, TIA and ATIS, as the joint sponsoring organizations for the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments (Administrative Council), shall notify the industry of its intent to establish and populate an Administrative Council. x The Administrative Council shall be populated within 60 days after notice to the industry. x No later than 30 days after the Administrative Council is populated, the Administrative Council shall convene its first official meeting. Once the Administrative Council conducts its first meeting, we require it to establish a schedule for regular meetings and additional procedures for meetings necessary to adopt proposed technical criteria for customer premises or terminal equipment. x No later than 60 days after the first official meeting of the Administrative Council, the Administrative Council shall establish, publish, and submit to the Commission a “charter” detailing its functions, operations, and standards for providing balanced membership. x No later than 180 days after the date of publication of the Order in the Federal Register, the Administrative Council shall publish the Part 68 rules we transfer to it by operation of the rules we adopted in this proceeding. x No later than 180 days after publication of the Order in the Federal Register, the Commission shall cease accepting applications for registration of Part 68 equipment and transfer responsibility for establishing and maintaining the database of approved equipment to the Administrative Council. 1 x No later than 180 days after publication of the Order in the Federal Register, the Administrative Council shall report to the Commission its progress in resolving outstanding numbering and labeling requirements. The Administrative Council is also responsible for developing the structure, content, and maintenance details of the database of all Commission approved, TCB certified, or supplier- declared conforming terminal equipment to be established by private industry to replace the Part 68 database now maintained by this Commission. Accordingly, the Order requires the Administrative Council to file with this Commission, within 180 days of publication of the Order in the Federal Register, a detailed report of the structure of the database, including details of how the Administrative Council will administer the database, the pertinent information to be included in the database, procedures for including compliance information in the database, and details regarding how the public will access the information. In addition to the database, the Order also requires the Administrative Council to implement numbering and labeling requirements of all customer premises or terminal equipment that will ensure that consumers and wireline providers of telecommunications can readily obtain the supplier’s identity. Once the supporting database, numbering and labeling requirements are in place, the self- declaration of conformity (SDoC) certification option will be available to manufacturers, and this Commission will cease accepting applications for customer premises or terminal equipment subject to Part 68. The Commission will issue a Public Notice at that time specifying the final date for accepting Part 68 applications. Of course, manufacturers may now use TCBs to receive certification for customer premises or terminal equipment; this option is not affected by the Administrative Council’s obligations. Finally, we note that the effective date of the new demarcation point definition in Section 68. 3 and new rule Section 68.105 is dependent upon the effective date, based on Federal Register publication, of the Competitive Networks Order, 66 Fed. Reg. 2322 (January 11, 2001). (In the Matter of Promotion of Competitive Networks in Local Telecommunications Markets, Wireless Communications Association International, Inc. Petition for Rulemaking to Amend Section 1.4000 of the Commission’s Rules to Preempt Restrictions on Subscriber Premises Reception or Transmission Antennas Designed to Provide Fixed Wireless Services, WT Docket No. 99- 217, Implementation of the Local Competition Provisions in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, CC Docket No. 96- 98, and Review of Sections 68.104, and 68.213 of the Commission’s Rules Concerning Connection of Simple Inside Wiring to the Telephone Network, CC Docket No. 88- 57, First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in WT Docket No. 99- 217, Fifth Report and Order and Memorandum Opinion and Order in CC Docket No. 96- 98, and Fourth Report and Order and Memorandum Opinion and Order in CC Docket No. 88- 57, FCC 00- 366, (released October 25, 2000)). -FCC- 2